Seema's Story - Back to School
Meet Seema, a 14-year-old adolescent enrolled in grade 8 in Kolkata.
In January 2024, the adolescent collective at Seema’s school informed Magic Bus of her continued absence from school. Upon learning about this, the team conducted a home visit where the parents were not interested in having any discussion. However, given the prior rapport, they eventually agreed to speak to our team and shared that Seema had been forced to run away by a local boy who had convinced her to marry him and leave her studies behind.
While Seema realised the repercussions of her decision and came back home within a few days, she refused to attend school given her reluctance to face her peers from the same community.
The Magic Bus team, along with community volunteers, counselled Seema and held a meeting with the adolescent collective to came up with ways to enable a safe transition back to school and avoid any unwarranted comments from fellow classmates. Seema, with the constant support of the team and the collective, has now started attending school regularly.
With further encouragement to speak up during Magic Bus sessions, Seema has gradually regained her confidence and even shared how this journey has enabled her to truly understand the importance of continuing with her education. She wishes to study further, and her parents have expressed deep gratitude to the Magic Bus team for enabling their daughter to regain her confidence and have another chance at continuing her education.